Is It What You Know or Who You Know?: An Information Typology of How First-Generation College Students Access Campus Resources

While there has been increased investigation of the enrollment patterns and access to college for first-generation college students (FGCS), less is understood about how FGCS learn and utilize vital information to persist with limited familial knowledge about college success. In this paper we utilize focus group data of 62 diverse FGCS to create a typology of how students utilize information to succeed in college. Using theory from sociology and information sciences we categorize the sources FGCS learn from and how information is utilized. Our findings indicate that FGCS develop complex ways of finding information even with minimal support and those information sources that are most helpful are often connected to pre-existing and informal relationships. We conclude by offering implications for future research on FGCS student success and opportunities for administrators to incorporate information-finding and relationship-building concepts into student success practice.

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First-Generation College Students and Satisfaction with Student-Success-Technology

R&D Management in the Knowledge Era - Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-15409-7_14 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 355-372

Author(s):

Hans VanDer Schaaf ◽

Dara Shifrer

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Student Success ◽

First Generation ◽

First Generation College Students ◽

First Generation College

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Factors Influencing the Academic Achievement of First-Generation College Students

NASPA Journal ◽

10.2202/0027-6014.1724 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Terrell L. Strayhorn

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Academic Achievement ◽

First Generation ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

First Generation College Students ◽

Future Research ◽

Grade Point ◽

Generation Status ◽

Cumulative Grade Point Average ◽

First Generation College

First-generation college students face a number of unique challenges in college. These obstacles may have a disparate effect on educational outcomes such as academic achievement. This study presents findings from an analysis of the Baccalaureate & Beyond Longitudinal Study using hierarchical multiple regression techniques to measure the influence of first-generation status on cumulative grade point average (GPA) in college, controlling for precollege and college variables. Findings suggest that firstgeneration status is a significant predictor of GPA controlling for an extensive array of background and intervening variables. Initially, background variables accounted for a small but significant proportion of college GPA variance. Final results suggest that first-generation status significantly explains differences in cumulative GPA, accounting for nearly 22% (p < .001) of GPA variance. Findings are congruent with college impact theory and support prior conclusions. Still, a number of important relationships and implications for future research are discussed.

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Identity Work by First-Generation College Students to Counteract Class-Based Microaggressions

Organization Studies ◽

10.1177/0170840617736935 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 39 (9) ◽

pp. 1227-1250 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Barbara Gray ◽

Tiffany Johnson ◽

Jennifer Kish-Gephart ◽

Jacqueline Tilton

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Social Class ◽

First Generation ◽

First Generation College Students ◽

Identity Work ◽

Future Research ◽

Race And Class ◽

Class Differences ◽

First Generation College ◽

Identity Threats

Using an interactional approach to studying organizations, we explore how social class differences alone and coupled with racial minority status generate identity threats for first-generation college students who are already underprivileged with respect to educational attainment. For these students the markers of social class are omnipresent and, like racial minorities, they experience microaggressions that require them to engage in identity work to counter these threats. We detail manifestations of social class differences on and off campus and identify the kinds of microaggressions these students encounter including those generated by the intersection of race and class that can destabilize students’ identities and lead to what we refer to as “identity collapse.” Our results also reveal four types of identity work including mining core identity strength, passing (via dodging and code switching), and developing peer support networks that allow some first-generation students to be resilient in responding to identity threats. We consider the implications of this class work for first-to-college students and offer suggestions for future research that expands our work to workplace organizations and inquires about the potential lasting effects of social class stigma.

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Female first-generation college students: A review of challenges and successes

Journal of Global Education and Research ◽

10.5038/2577-509x.5.2.1076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 136-150

Author(s):

Junghwan Kim ◽

Sarah Miller ◽

Jihee Hwang ◽

Joann Olson

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

First Generation ◽

Degree Attainment ◽

First Generation College Students ◽

Role Expectations ◽

Socioeconomic Background ◽

Future Research ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Higher Education System ◽

First Generation College

With increasing college access rates of underrepresented populations in recent years, first-generation college students (FGCSs), those who are the first in their family to attend college, have caught the attention of researchers and policymakers in the U.S. higher education system. This study focused on female FGCSs to identify the various challenges that are unique to this population. Through a systematic literature review, 13 studies were analyzed related to female FGCSs. Three themes were found from the analysis: role expectations, support systems, and socioeconomic background. These explain the challenges and self-identified strategies that female FGCSs discussed as contributing factors to their persistence during their degree attainment. Findings and a discussion of the data are presented, along with practical implications to better support female FGCSs and areas for future research.

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